Read ends drought, lifts Flyers to 3-1 win over Canadiens
PHILADELPHIA — Matt Read ended a long scoring drought with a strategy that sounded easy: He just shot the puck hard.
Read netted the tiebreaking goal early in the third period to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.
Claude Giroux also scored and Sean Couturier had an empty-netter in the final seconds for the Flyers, who opened a five-game homestand — their longest of the season — by winning their fourth in the last five.
Following Tuesday’s disheartening 5-1 loss at Carolina in which the Flyers had just six shots through 2 1/2 periods, coach Dave Hakstol benched 23-year-old defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere and 19-year-old forward Travis Konecny.